Acknowledging Corruption Now, So What?

Prospective President Truong Tan Sang made a statement the other day about how senior members of the Communist Party “lack morality and example in lifestyle,” according to CBS News and The Associated Press. This means that Sang is willing to admit that the VCP has a corruption problem, which is usually a good thing in most cases. The question now is what he plans to do about it?

Acknowledging that the VCP is corrupted shows that a change may be possible from within. However, one should not get their hopes up just yet. It is true that the first step to curing a problem is admitting it, but one should keep in mind that this is only the first step. Communist have gone back on their words too many times in the past, history has shown this. Therefore, they should not be trusted, at least not until real results are confirmed and verified.

One should recall Nguyen Tan Dung’s words when he became Prime Minister of the VCP five years ago. He also pointed out that corruption was a major problem in Vietnam and wanted to do something about it. Look how things turned out with him, Mr. Billionaire, never lifting an honest finger to acquire his wealth. Who knows, maybe he actually wanted to end corruption, but after he started getting free money, he just shut his mouth. The motive is debatable, but the result is not. He is definitely corrupted now.

Some might find it even more disillusioning to know that Nong Duc Manh, the outgoing General Secretary of the VCP, also made a statement condemning corruption. The reason for this disillusionment stems from the fact that Manh himself is the main source of corruption in the Communist Party. Whatever he blames on the Party all started with him, as he is the top ranking member of the entire group. He’s trying to avoid being held accountable, that is the only reason he speaks against corruption.

I’m not telling everyone to dismiss Truong Tan Sang’s words altogether. What I really want to do is remind everyone that actions speak louder than words, especially when it comes to Communists. South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu once warned his people, “don’t listen to what a Communist says, but rather, look at what a Communist does.” This is a great statement, and a perfect approach to dealing with Communist propaganda. Only time will show their true intentions.